Treachery and Treason
by fingertips
Summary: ***Episode VII Spoilers *** After the destruction of Starkiller Base, things return to normal for a just a brief moment in time. Rey finds Luke Skywalker and learns her story. Finn recovers and gets a new role in The Resistance. Poe gets a promotion. Leia refuses to give up on her son. Kylo Ren falls further into the darkness. ** Drama, Action & Romance - Poe/Finn others **
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Disclaimers:**

 **1) Spoilers for TFA**

 **2) I'm really bad at commas, please forgive me**

 **3) Just my ideas for what could/would be nice to happen after TFA. Some of the theories I employ are widely discussed and not original (and some are)**

 **4) I'm not deeply versed in SW canon but I've tried to do thorough research where required, so please let me know if I've made any major errors. All comments are good comments!**

* * *

'Is this some sort of Jedi mind trick?' Rey thought to herself, her arm aching from the weight of the lightsaber, waiting to see how Master Skywalker would react.

With each step towards to the top of the cliff she had felt her heart thumping, her head pounding, and The Force crashing through her cells like the ocean on the rocks below. Images had flashed through her mind that were both strange and familiar at the same time. She couldn't remember being a young girl practicing her Force skills with other Padawans, but somehow she knew that it was her memory. It was the same experience she had felt when Kylo Ren had first accessed her mind. Suddenly there were new things she could do that she couldn't remember learning. When had she learned to control others with her mind? Who taught her to use The Force to summon the lightsaber to her hand? She still had a million questions, but some things were starting to make sense. General Organa seemed to know, but had insisted that Rey should seek out the famed Jedi Luke Skywalker to get her answers. Rey knew The Force was strong within herself, but why would Leia send a strange teenager to recover the savior of the galaxy? Now she knew. She had been here before, many years ago, and Luke Skywalker once was her Jedi Master.

"I was wondering if I would see you again in this lifetime," he finally spoke, a slight smirk betraying his otherwise serious disposition. In an instant the saber flew from her grip and landed neatly into his hand. He examined it with the fondness of a long lost friend.

"You didn't exactly make it easy to find you," she replied strongly, unsure of what he expected from her, but not willing to let down her guard with a stranger.

"I told R2 to reveal the map only to you, and only when you were ready," he confessed. "I see you have made that difficult choice."

"I'm not even sure what choice that is," Rey admitted. "But something told me I had to return here."

"So you remember?" Luke asked, curious, but wanting her to tell it in her own voice.

"I suddenly have many memories," she said as she surveyed their surroundings, as if looking for additional clues. It was like a deja vu. Everything looked familiar, but she couldn't determine if it was because she had been here once long ago, or because The Force had shown it to her. "Some are my own, but some are not. There are still many gaps"

"The Force is communicating to you," he explained, knowing it would probably sound crazy to someone who had lived most her life thinking that The Force was just a legend. "If you are able to distinguish between Force memories and your own, you must already have great control of your mind. I'm impressed."

"I had a lot of time by myself to think," she couldn't block out the anger caused by all those years of loneliness.

"As have I," he responded calmly. Up until that moment they had both remained in their positions, squared against each other from a distance. Now the old Jedi approached to examine Rey more closely. "Would you care to show me how your training has progressed?"

"My training?!" She couldn't help but to laugh. "Fifteen years alone in a desert hell, scavenging to survive, waiting for you to return for me, but not knowing that it was you I was waiting for. Five planets annihilated, your best friend murdered by your nephew, yet the renowned Jedi Luke Skywalker would rather listen to the waves crash and worry about my training than to bring peace to the galaxy." Rey figured he'd be able to sense her feelings anyway, so she might as well just be upfront with it. The look of compassion that spread across his face caused her to instantly regret the tone she had taken.

Luke placed the lightsaber back in her hand. "We'll worry about the training another day. Today we'll just talk." He gestured towards a path that wrapped around the side of the cliff. "Will you walk with me?"

Rey forced her breathing to calm and fell into pace beside her long-lost master.


	2. Chapter 2

"May I sit with you?"

Poe startled in his chair, struggling to sit up and brushing the shaggy hair from his eyes. He had been daydreaming.

"General Organa, ma'am," he stumbled as he tried to rise from his chair out of respect. "Yes, of course, please come in." He gestured her towards the chair he had just vacated and pulled another from around the side of the infirmary bed.

"Oh, my boy" she said as she took the seat. She looked tired and older than usual. "There's no need for such formalities. I should be saluting you."

"Ma'am?"

"I heard you were incredibly brave during the attack on Starkiller Base," she spoke to him in a motherly tone. "So young and yet your contributions to the Resistance have already been so invaluable. And you fly so beautifully. Reminds me of Han and Luke."

"That's very kind of you General," Poe sympathized. "I'm so sorry about your loss."

"He lived a good life," she reminisced. "In a way I think he was ready. I'm just glad he got to fly that damn ship one last time. And to know it's in good hands."

"You mean the Jedi?" Poe asked "Rey?" He hadn't had much time to interact with the strange scavenger girl before she went to find Luke Skywalker. Mostly they had sat silently beside each other listening to the whir of the hospital machines.

"So you've heard the rumors I see?"

"Everyone's been talking about the return of the Jedi" Poe couldn't hide his childish excitement. "An untrained orphan defeated Kylo Ren and now unites with Luke Skywalker to restore balance to The Force. It's what legends are made of."

"Yes, well I've been there before," Leia sighed. "Just when you think peace is restored, something else comes along to mix it up again."

Poe could sense her anguish. "If you don't mind me saying, General, my parents used to tell me stories about the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance. They said that Darth Vader was redeemed before his death. That he died saving your brother Luke from death by Emperor Palpatine. And that after all he'd done, he was still able find some remnant of the Light within him. So maybe Ben Solo is not lost forever?"

"That's very kind of you, Poe." She forced a smiled. "It is good that you have studied our history. There is much to learn from the past. We do not want to repeat our mistakes." They sat in silence for some time. Each lost in their own thoughts. "What have the doctors said?" She finally asked, for the first time acknowledging the unconscious patient and the loud machines that surrounded them in the infirmary room.

"Well," now it was Poe's turn to sigh. "He's alive, but pretty banged up. They're not sure when he'll wake though."

"I see," Leia said. She couldn't think of the right words to be comforting. "It is nice of you to sit with him," she added with a hint of suggestion in her voice.

"Oh!" Poe was unnecessarily flustered. "I was uh, just thinking that he might be upset, uh, you know, if he woke up and found out that Rey had left."

"Or maybe he'll be happy that you're here," she smiled."

"Yeah… maybe," he said, as if dreaming.

"Enjoy some rest, Mr. Dameron. But I look forward to working with you as a Captain for our future missions." She stood to leave.

"Captain?" He was surprised.

"You deserve it, Poe." She spoke from the doorway.

"Thank you General. It is my pleasure to serve you."

She began to walk away and then turned back. "You may never know what tomorrow will bring, so it is best to reveal your heart when you have the chance. The rest will fall into place."

"Yes, General," he smiled and blushed as she turned away and left.


	3. Chapter 3

"How old was I when you first met me?" Rey asked.

They were sitting face to face in a smooth patch of grass, legs crossed, practicing breathing and calming their minds.

They had climbed down to meet Chewy and R2, Luke happy to reunite with his old friends, but distraught in the absence of a third. He had felt a hole rip through him that was mostly his sister's pain, but also some of his own. The darkness was growing stronger. Embarrassed by defeat, Luke sensed his nephew's fury growing. Ben Solo was naive and unstable, ambitious yet vulnerable. Luke would have to find a way to get through to him if the balance was to be restored.

The reunion was bittersweet. Luke was impressed that Han Solo had trusted Rey with the Millennium Falcon and thought fondly of his time sharing that ship with the smuggler and his friends. After talking some time they decided to send Chewy and R2 back to base to help with the Resistance. Chewy needed something to occupy his mind and now that she knew his whereabouts, Leia would be able to communicate with Luke through The Force. He sent her comfort and sympathy, but knew that it would not be long before he saw her in person.

During their walk, Luke Skywalker explained to Rey how he had come to be a hermit on a remote island. She had read books about the Battle of Endor and knew from propaganda that the New Republic had formed in the wake of the Galactic Empire. On Jakku, those she encountered did not speak fondly of the new government, claiming they were too scared to act and bogged down by bureaucracy and politics. There were mutters of a violent insurgent group slowly gaining power, and a counter-resistance formed to take them head-on. But most on Jakku could only concern themselves with survival. No senate, empire, or republic ever seemed to care much about them. Jedi's and The Force were the talk of children's stories and myth.

Luke explained that it was the responsibility of the Jedi to keep peace and harmony in the Galaxy and confessed that he was afraid of being corrupted by politics or power. So he left the governing to his more experienced sister and her husband Han Solo and set off to scour the planets for traces of Force-sensitive younglings as Qui-gon and Obi-wan had once done for his father. He formed a Jedi training academy on a remote planet where the children would be safe from the rumblings of the new government. There were still many in the galaxy who did not trust the Jedi, who thought that Force-sensitivity was an elitist scam, and who were jealous of the powers they held. Rey had been one of the those younglings he had started to train, but then Luke was forced to return her to her home planet before Ben Solo arrived at the training academy with a dark shadow in tow. It was crucial that they hide her identity.

Luke confirmed what Rey had overheard regarding the betrayal of Ben Solo and the massacre by the Knights of Ren. After that Luke felt there was no point in trying to train more Jedi as he was only setting them up for slaughter. In addition, parents no longer trusted him to take their children away. He decided that the best thing to do was stay hidden, knowing that Kylo would become obsessed with finding him and thus would be distracted from his duties to Supreme Leader Snoke. Luke actually had many hideouts and had moved from planet to planet every few weeks for the last 14 years.

Knowing that Rey would one day need to find him, he left R2-D2 with a map to one of the hideouts where he had trained the young Padawans. R2 was instructed to only reveal the map when he felt the presence of great strength in The Force. The key to the map was left near young Rey with the hope that it would be given to her when the time was right. Likewise with his lightsaber. Then it would all be up to Rey to decide if she wanted to follow her calling.

"You had recently turned four." Luke answered, his eyes closed and his mind focused. He was channeling The Force, but was careful to respect Rey's privacy. Trust was the most important element between a Jedi master and his apprentice.

"Four years old?" Rey's eyes bolted open in distraction. Luke calmly raised one eyelid to examine her and then slowly closed it again. The unspoken judgement was enough to encourage her to refocus. Learning to control her emotions was the most frustrating thing she'd ever been asked to do. She would rather fight three Knights of Ren simultaneously.

"Force training is most successful when started at a young age." Their agreement was that he would answer any of her questions as long as they trained at the same time. "A young child is still innocent and not yet exposed to the emotions of greed, jealousy and suffering."

"How did you find me?" she spoke calmly with her eyes shut, changing the topic. As an orphan on Jakku she had often felt jealous and did not want Luke to think her unworthy.

"Your father and I had encountered each other numerous times back when I was younger. He sent me a message, asking if I would examine you."

"You knew my father!" Again her eyes bolted open in excitement. "Was he a Jedi too?"

"No. He wasn't." Again his body language urged her to focus.

"Oh." She couldn't hide her disappointment. "Was he a pilot?" She was trying to think of other areas where she excelled that might have been hereditary. Maybe he was just a poor scavenger like her.

"He could fly, but that wasn't his main job. He was sort of a jack of all trades."

"And my mother?"

"A poor miner."

"From Jakku?" Although she had been raised as a scavenger, Rey knew that the majority of Jakku's inhabitants slaved away in the mines in order to make ends meet.

"Yes."

"And they're dead now." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Look inside. What does The Force tell you?"

Rey relaxed her mind and tried to search for any sense of her parents. It was hard not knowing what they looked like or how they sounded. "Mother a long time ago, but I feel her more strongly. Father died recently?"

"That's correct." He opened his eyes to watch her reaction, but she was able to remain calm.

"Where?" she sputtered. "Where was he all those years?" It didn't make sense that she had been an Orphan if her father was alive.

"Often nearby, watching. Keeping a close eye on you."

"Why?" She thought about the loneliness and longing she had felt growing up and began to lose control.

"We needed to continue your training." Luke explained. "I did not know when I would be able to resume as your master, or if I would even be alive, and we decided that your best chance was for you to teach yourself by learning to survive. Maybe you wouldn't learn to use The Force, but at least you'd learn strength and resilience."

"So you abandoned a 6 year old girl in the middle of a desert, wiped her memory, wouldn't let her see her father, and hoped that she wouldn't die. All because of Kylo Ren," she concluded as her memory flashed to the snowy forest where they had dueled, to Finn unconscious on the ground, to The Force vision of the Knights of Ren massacring the young Padawans. A tear fell from her tightly shut eyes. "You thought you could fix him."

"There is much Light in him, but it is much easier to give it to the Dark side than to obey the Light. It has many attractions."

"Why did you hide me and not the others?" Rey asked. The pieces still didn't fit.

"If he had discovered how strong The Force is within you, the jealousy would've driven him mad. At that time we still thought we could save him."

"But now he knows."

"Now you are strong enough to fight back. But there is something else." His inflection caused alarm deep within her. She opened her eyes and connected with those of her master.

"You share a bloodline," he paused but she did not react. "We share a bloodline."


	4. Chapter 4

"REYYYYY! REY! REY" Finn screamed, thrashing against the tubes and wires connecting him to the hospital machines.

"Finn!" Poe rushed to the bed and tightly held the other man's hand, while trying to calm him and hold him steady against the bed. "It's okay, Finn. It's Poe. You're safe." A medic rushed in and injected a sedative and Finn instantly fell back asleep. The medic ignored Poe while he checked the machines and replaced some of the wires which had been yanked out of their sockets.

"Why are you making him sleep?" Poe asked flustered, still holding tightly to the rough hand of a former storm trooper. "He's finally conscious!"

"We need him to wake in a controlled environment," the medic answered cooly. "Otherwise he could rip his stitches or risk a seizure. His body is very weak." Poe felt nothing but strength in his friend. The medic injected another serum into the IV and soon Poe felt a squeeze on his hand.

"Finn?" He asked softly, as the other man began to blink open his eyes.

"Poe?" He spoke, his voice strained and scratchy. The medic removed the ventilator mask.

"Hey buddy." Poe said, beaming.

"Sir," the medic interrupted. "You are in the medical infirmary at Resistance Base, on the planet D'Qar, under the command of General Leia Organa. You have suffered severe head trauma, several broken ribs, and a broken leg, among other ailments. You have been unconscious for 16 days, 5 hours, and 29 minutes. Do not try to leave your bed. I will return later to examine you." And just like that the medic was gone again.

"What?" Finn said, confused as he glanced around the hospital room, at the contraption securing his leg, at the wires connected to his arm and lastly to his friend grasping his hand.

Poe couldn't help but to laugh. "Man you got your butt kicked."

Finn started to laugh until pain shot through his chest and he resigned to just a smile. He looked down at himself, his dark, bruised skin contrasting with the sterile white of the hospital sheets. He was naked except for a pair of tight gray shorts. Poe had to keep himself from staring.

"Where are my clothes? It's freezing."

"You've been running a fever." Poe hurried to grab a blanket and tuck it around the other man. "You keep thrashing in your sleep."

"Where's Rey?" Finn asked, as if suddenly remembering.

"She's okay," Poe answered, without missing a beat. "She's gone to meet Luke Skywalker."

"Luke Skywalker?" Finn's memory was still returning, but he thought that the Jedi was missing.

"After you guys defeated Kylo Ren, we destroyed Starkiller Base and when we got back here, General Organa's old R2 unit woke up and revealed the missing portion of the map to where Skywalker was hiding."

"We defeated Kylo Ren?" Finn asked. He must've missed that part.

"Well, Rey did," Poe laughed. "Sort of. You just got your butt kicked from the way she tells it."

"I was protecting her!" Finn got defensive. "That evil monster slammed her into a tree and she was unconscious."

"Hey, hey," Poe calmed him, still laughing. "I'm just teasing. I'm sure you were very brave."

"Man, I'm never gonna live this down." He couldn't help thinking of her smile and imagined her teasing him. "How'd she beat him?"

"She's a Jedi, Finn." There was a certain excitement in Poe's voice.

"Nah," Finn brushed it off. "She's just a scavenger. I mean a really good one. And definitely a good fighter. But the Jedi were destroyed. Skywalker is the last living Jedi." As he said it, he realized it was starting to make sense. "Really? A Jedi? Damn."

"There's a lot they aren't telling me." Poe said, remembering the hushed conversations Leia and Rey kept having before her departure. "I'm sure we'll figure it all out in time."

"But the important thing is everyone is safe and Ren is dead," Finn said as if stating it would make it the reality.

"Well…" That was all Poe needed to say.

"I knew it was too good to be true."

"Kylo Ren isn't dead," Poe explained. "General Organa says she would've felt it if he died when Starkiller Base exploded. A few First Order ships made it off the planet, and we're in the process of tracking them down. Also, it turns out Ren is serving a higher master, a dark lord they call Supreme Leader Snoke, who was never on the planet in the first place. Stupid name if you ask me."

"Damn. So what comes next?"

"For now you just worry about getting better," Poe smiled. "The resistance is going to need you healthy."

"That sounds good," Finn said. He started to close his eyes and then opened them again. "Poe. Thanks for being here man."

"I wouldn't be anywhere else." They both smiled as Finn closed his eyes to rest. They were still holding hands.


	5. Chapter 5

"Can you just tell me?" Rey pleaded through heavy breaths. They were practicing combat. She ducked as she spun her staff over her shoulders, grabbed it on the other side and attacked Luke at his ankles. He was able to easily block her with his own staff that she had fashioned for him from a branch in the forest.

"You're a skilled fighter," Luke said as he returned the offensive, forcing her to take several steps back. "But it's as much about strategy and deception as it is speed and placement. You made your body low so I suspected that you would strike low."After several quick swings he connected with her shoulder in what would've been a deadly blow.

"I'm distracted," she said, dropping her staff on the ground and turning away to catch her breath and clear her mind.

"You have to learn to fight with distractions," he approached her and took a more fatherly tone. "The First Order will try to lure you to the dark side. They will try to expose your weaknesses. Because we are the protectors of life, we are inherently weak with compassion and sympathy and justice. Learn to use that as your power and don't let them exploit it."

"I need to know about my parents." She turned to face him.

"I did not have that luxury."

"But don't you wish your master had told you?"

"I do," Luke admitted, thinking back to Darth Vader's confession and how he suddenly felt it to be true. "But I also know that I wouldn't have believed it if I couldn't feel it for myself."

"Why isn't it working?" She was getting frustrated with herself. Luke refused to tell her about her lineage. Instead he was using it as a teaching opportunity so that she could learn to access The Force beyond just reading minds on controlling a saber.

"You're looking only for what you expect to see, or what you want to see, rather than opening yourself to any possibility," he explained. "What have you found so far?"

"I can feel my mother and father. My mother was strong with The Force. My father was killed by Kylo Ren. That only makes sense to be General Organa and Han Solo, but I sense that my mother is dead, and General Organa is not. I think. Oh god, is she dead?" Rey started to panic.

"That would make Ben Solo your brother," Luke observed, still calm. "Is he your brother?"

"No," she concluded, silently relieved.

"Do you have a brother?" Luke prompted, helping her navigate.

"No," she felt. "I was my parents only child."

"How did your mother die?"

Rey dug deeper into The Force. "She was poisoned."

"Why?" Luke guided her. They were close now.

"Kylo Ren felt threatened by her. He was jealous of her strength."

"Good. Go on."

"Wait," Rey broke her concentration. "He would've been just a child then. A teenager maybe. I was only 5."

"He was 17, and already feeling the pull of the Dark side."

"But why was he jealous of a miner from Jakku?"

"You're almost there, Rey. Open your mind."

She focused harder than she ever had in her life. She could feel the answer just beyond her reach. Teasing her. Calling to her. Laughing at her. Despite the resistance, she forced it nearer until it was within her grasp.

"Vader's daughter."

She collapsed in exhaustion, but Luke slowed her fall so that she hit the ground soft as a feather.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey trooper, how are you feeling?" Poe looked up from the maps he was studying with the other captians. Finn hobbled into the room on crutches, still bruised but looking much more alive than when he'd been in the infirmary.

"Trooper, ha, very funny." Finn said sarcastically. "Let's hope that one doesn't stick."

"Finn," Leia joined her captains in welcoming the newcomer. "Thank you for joining us."

"Rehab was starting to get pretty boring, so I hope I can be useful."

"I think you can be," said the General, "but it won't be easy."

"Well then it's more likely to be fun!" Finn joked, showing the same adrenaline junkie spirit that Leia loved about her husband and brother.

"That's my boy," Poe exclaimed, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"So, what's the plan?" Finn asked, trying not to wince from the pain.

"We need you to disguise yourself as a Storm Trooper and work as a spy from the inside," one of the other captains explained.

"You want me to do what!?" Finn said, desperately looking for Poe to come to his defense.

"If you were defective, maybe there are others," Poe explained.

"Can we not use the term defective?" Finn asked. He spoke as if joking, but he was serious at the same time. "Maybe something like 'strong enough to withstand torture and brave enough to escape. Just a a suggestion, you know."

"Sure," Poe smiled. "Strong and brave...and defective," he added after a pause. He had to hide the blush he felt when Finn glared at him in response.

"Can you do it?" Leia asked.

"Kylo Ren will recognize me," Finn said. He was scared, but he also wanted to give the plan merit. "He'll want me murdered. And my captain, Captain Phasma, I wasn't so nice to her when we were on Starkiller Base." He wondered if she ever made it out of the trash compactor.

"What's the process for a defective trooper?" one of the other captains asked.

"Uhhh," Finn thought. "They do an evaluation. Submit you to additional training. But storm trooper training is not normal respectful human being training. They torture you into submission. They wipe your memory so that you don't have any emotional connections to distract you from your duties."

"Okay, so that won't work," Poe said, before any of the other captains had a chance to speak up. "We need a different plan."

"I could pretend to be a different trooper," Finn suggested.

"How would that work?" Leia asked.

"We'd have to kidnap someone," Finn explained. "One of the leaders, probably. To keep the troopers from forming any sort of friendship or emotional attachment their identities are completely anonymous. They're only allowed to remove their helmets when they're locked in their private quarters. Even commanders don't know what their own soldiers or colleagues look like. Everyone is just a number. There's a master database that stores a personal file on each Storm Trooper, including a photo, but only the non-soldier officers are able to access it."

"Why a leader," asked Poe, "couldn't that draw unwanted attention?"

"The low-ranking soldiers are rotated through different assignments every month," Finn told them. "Again, to keep them from forming any relationships. Officers are more likely to stay in one place, which would give me the time and access I would need to collect information and seek out others."

"Good," Leia acknowledged. "We would want you to build a rebel force from within. To capture secrets, feed information, and for special operations when the time comes."

"Do you know enough to be an officer?" one of the other captains asked.

"Can't be that hard, right?" Finn flashed a smile.

"Okay." Leia said. "I want a plan, and a backup plan, and a safe-guard prepared and rehearsed by the time he can use that leg again. Get to work."

Later Poe found Finn at the fitness center, struggling under the bench press. He rushed over to help lift the bar up onto the rack.

"Are you trying to impress me?" Poe teased.

"I used to be able to lift twice that much." Finn said, sitting up and scratching his leg around the edges of the contraption holding his leg together. He was shirtless again.

"You had a plasma beam carved into your shoulder, several ribs broken, you were unconscious for 16 days, and you've been in a cast for the past four weeks. Give yourself a break."

"I don't want to screw up this mission." He sounded dejected.

"We wouldn't be sending you if we thought you would." Poe reassured him.

"Rey's off learning to be a badass Jedi, and look at me. Stupid robot leg." It thumped to the ground as he swung it off the bench. While there was still flesh and bone beneath the metal, the doctor's told him he would always need the brace. It was heavy and strange and he was still trying to figure out the right settings for the actuators.

"So it's Rey you're trying to impress?" Poe asked, skeptically.

"No," Finn was quick to be defensive. "I don't know. Not necessarily."

"General Leia says the Jedi are trained to reject their desires so that they can put others above themselves," Poe offered, unsolicited. "That's why she didn't go through with the training like her brother. She was in love with Han Solo. And anyway, I think she is better suited as a general." He was rambling.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Finn admitted. He was thinking of Rey in her Jedi training. If he was sent to infiltrate the storm troopers he may never see her again. He wondered if she could use The Force to sense him. He wondered if she even cared.

"Do you want to grab a drink or something?" Poe interrupted Finn's train of thought.

"Oh yeah…sure," Finn said, snapping back to reality. "Can you help me up?"

The crutches were lying under the bench. Poe grabbed them and leaned them against the bench, before positioning his shoulder under Finn's arm and around his back to help lift the other man. He could feel the sweat on Finn's back and the smell of exertion. Finn was standing stable on his good leg, but Poe did not let go. His free hand instinctively fell to Finn's hip as he revelled in the warmth and softness of the dark skin. Finn didn't say anything or pull away. Both men were breathing heavily and their eyes were locked. Poe was trying to control his impulses. Finn was trying to parse through the millions of thoughts flashing through his brain, most prominently why he was so excited.

"I need my crutches or I'm gonna fall over," Finn finally said, feeling a bit wobbly. He immediately felt sad when he saw his friend struggling to hide his embarrassment. Poe handed him the crutches and turned to walk away without saying anything.

"Poe," Finn called after him and hobbled a few steps closer. Poe turned. His face was flush, but he was forcing himself to hold his head high. "Aren't you going to kiss me?"

The gap between them was instantly closed as Poe took Finn's face in his hands and crushed their mouths together. They kissed passionately until Poe pulled back to grab a breath and whispered "Damn you" across the soft black lips and then tasted the mouth again. Finn didn't really know what to do and he was hindered by his need to keep from falling over. He was happy to let the more confidant man take the lead and just tried to focus on all the sensations he was experiencing for the first time in his life. He closed his eyes and tried not to panic.


	7. Chapter 7

"I need to return to Jakku," Rey stated firmly as she entered the room. She had been training with Luke Skywalker for more than a month and their relationship had developed. He treated her as a peer rather than a child, though they both knew she still had much to learn.

"Need to or want to?" He asked, looking up from the maps he had been studying.

'I'm an idiot' she thought to herself. She had practiced her speech several times, carefully choosing each word and phrase, and already he had dismantled the entire thing. Of course he would see this this as self-serving , she had to convince him it was more than that.

"I want to go to Jakku," she corrected. "There might be something my father left behind. Some artifact, or a treasure of my mother's, or maybe a hidden message for me to find."

Luke had told her everything. Her mother, the bastard daughter of Anakin Skywalker, a child he never knew existed. Her father, a bounty hunter who once served Darth Vader and tried to kill Luke, later turned Resistance fighter to help keep his wife safe. Rey wasn't even her birth name, but it was the only one she could remember so she preferred it. She was Darth Vader's granddaughter, Kylo Ren her cousin, Luke and Leia her half-uncle and aunt. Together they had managed to keep her a secret for 22 years. With her parents dead there was only one other person in the galaxy who knew her true identity.

"Living in the past will not help you," Luke explained. "The best memories of your parents are with those who knew them."

"But you still live in the past," Rey accused. She didn't want to be petty but it was true. Luke was afraid to face his sister. His future was unclear and that frightened him. He could not bear to be responsible for more death.

"You are not wrong," he admitted. He firmly believed that the Jedi should be both teachers and students. Every day he was learning from Rey as none of his Padawans had ever reached this level of maturity. She was almost ready to become a Jedi Knight. "Perhaps we should leave this island after all."

"Really?" She hadn't expected it to work.

"Not for Jakku," he added. "We'll go to D'Qar."

The thought of seeing Finn again made her heart skip a beat. She had sensed that he was awake and was grateful that he was safe. She had been forced to clear her mind of him in order to focus on her training, but when she was alone memories of that smile and his hand on hers crept back into her conscience. Things wouldn't be the same though. A Jedi had to keep their emotions at a distance. Caring for someone too much made you vulnerable. Luke had tried to explain that while love wasn't inherently bad, it created a weakness that could be exploited. He passed on the story of Anakin's love for Padme, and for his mother Shmi, which Darth Sidious used to pull him towards the Dark side. Luke had failed the people he cared most about. Rey was not going to let that happen. She was disappointed that she wouldn't get closure on her family, but there were new opportunities if they were going to join the Resistance.

"It's time for you to build a lightsaber," Luke said, smiling at her with pride. "There are no parts here."


	8. Chapter 8

Poe stood anxiously behind his General as they waited for the Millenium Falcon to land. It seemed like half the Resistance had gathered around the airfield, hoping to catch a glance of Luke Skywalker. The captain's attention was elsewhere. Out of the corner of his eye he was watching Finn, the former storm trooper turned center of attention and soon-to-be hero of the Resistance. Once he was mobile again he had made friends fast and was standing with some of the other fighters now. They were laughing and Poe was trying not to be jealous. At least Finn was still wearing his jacket.

Ever since that day in the fitness center things had been different. It wasn't that Finn was avoiding him. Every day they worked together on the plan to infiltrate the First Order. After work they would socialize, maybe a drink or a game of cards, sometimes with others, sometimes just the two of them. They talked about their lives and they gossiped about rumors around the base, but they never talked about "them" and "that" certainly hadn't happened again.

Despite this, Poe was smitten. He was hoping it would just take time, but now with Rey returning to base everything could be ruined. Did he really think he could compete with a Jedi?

A gust of wind pushed across the airfield and the whir of engines filled the air as the old freighter crept over the trees into the open space. As its feet landed and the ramp came down, Poe struggled to keep the hair out of his face. First off the ship were the Wookiee and the R2 unit. Everyone was used to them around here by now. Then came the Jedi. Luke Skywalker was followed closely by his apprentice. I was different than Poe expected. He looked old and sad. Rey, too, had changed since he had seen her more than a month before. She had abandoned her scavenger garb from Jakku and was now wearing rough brown robes. Her hair was braided off to the side. Luke had his lightsaber clipped to his belt, while Rey still carried her beloved staff.

The crowd clapped and cheered, but the Jedi didn't seem to notice. General Leia Organa was approaching them. Without pause she grasped her brother into a tight hug and the crowd grew silent. Poe bowed his head, but then watched Rey. She was surveying the airfield, undoubtedly looking for Finn. After a moment the General hugged Rey as well and they exchanged a few words. Then Leia pointed across the expanse to where Finn was standing and Rey ran to him. She dropped her staff just before she flung into his arms. Then she kissed him and Poe's heart sank. It was done in an instant, they were hugging again and Finn was staring over her shoulder right at Poe.


	9. Chapter 9

"Hey," Finn laughed, putting some space between them. He was blushing "People are watching."

"Oh, sorry" she smiled uncontrollably. "It's just that you're here and you're alive!" She stepped back and scanned him head to toe. "And you have a robot leg!"

"Wow, some Jedi" he laughed. All he could do was smile and laugh.

"My gosh, Finn," she beamed. "I have so much to tell you. You can't even imagine."

"Me too," he answered. "I can't wait. But first, there's someone I want you to meet." He grabbed her hand and led her across the airfield, grabbing her staff as they left. She didn't pull her hand away. She had gotten used to it and it had been too long since she'd felt the comfort and reassurance of his large hand on hers.

"This is Poe Dameron," Finn said as they approached the shocked pilot. "He's the pilot I rescued from Starkiller Base. He's the one who took me to Jakku. Poe, this is Rey. The, well, you know."

"Yeah," Poe couldn't help but to laugh. "We've met."

"What?" Finn looked confused.

"You were unconscious for quite some time," Rey reminded him.

"Oh, yeah," It had completely slipped Finn's mind that they may have talked. Now they were all laughing together.

"Rey," Luke interrupted. "I need some time with my sister. I'm sure we'll cross paths later."

"Okay," Rey passed him a 'good luck' smile before turning back to her friends.

"You have to tell us everything," Finn urged.

"I can't believe you're on first-name basis with Luke Skywalker." Poe was learning a whole new type of jealousy.

"What's he like? What did he say when you showed up? Why are you coming back now?" Finn was going to keep asking questions until someone stopped him.

"Come on you guys," Rey laughed. These boys were crazy. "Let's get out of here." She put an arm around each of them and led them away from the curious eyes. All three couldn't stop smiling. Everything was perfect.


	10. Chapter 10

"I know I should've come sooner. I should've been here for you. I should've been here for Han. Maybe if I'd been there he'd still be alive." Everything Luke had been holding in suddenly gushed out. His twin was the only person he felt he could be himself around. There were no expectations or pretenses. Each inherently understood the other. They had been through so much together. Their Force connection allowed a deeper level of compassion and understanding that he had never felt with any other person.

"Luke," she rested her hand on his. "What is this nonsense? Forget all that. I'm just happy you're here now."

"How do you do it, Leia?" He looked at her full of admiration. "Always so kind and forgiving. Through all of this you continue to fight and lead your people. Your mind is at peace. You are stronger than I am."

"We each chose our paths and we have each seen victory and defeat," Leia soothed him. "I continue to fight because it is the only thing I know how to do. Just like you continue to train young Jedi. After everything that happened it would have been understandable if you turned to the dark side. Or left forever. Instead you took an extended sabbatical. And just look at Rey. Everything she's become is because of you."

"She is strong, Leia." His voice betrayed both amazement and fear.

"Of course," Leia said, as if that was obvious. "She's a Skywalker. And a woman."

"We've kept her safe all this time, but Ben will come for her." He didn't want to bring up his sister's lost son, but he didn't have a choice.

"Does she know?" Leia had not wanted the child to grow up without knowing her own identity, but Luke had insisted.

"Yes. I told her everything," Luke explained. "But she still longs for answers."

"As did we," Leia smiled at him. "Being the descendants of Anakin Skywalker is not a simple task."

"What is it Ben is attracted to?" Luke wondered. "Our father redeemed himself. Why does Ben see that as a weakness? Why does he not admire that as we do?"

"Jealousy," Leia suggested. She hadn't admitted it, but Leia had lost almost all sense of her son. She used to be able to feel his emotions, but now she could only tell that he was alive. "He looks at his family and all he sees is fame and renown. The whole Galaxy knew Vader's name, your name, my name. And then there was peace and they stopped caring. No one had any interest in Ben Solo. He was just like any other kid who's parents had been in the Rebel Alliance. Even if he became a Jedi, they are nothing but lonely monks without an enemy to fight. Snoke offered him an opportunity to make his own name. To rise above. To be worshipped and feared. To be powerful beyond The Force. But he struggles, Luke. There is light in him, even now. He senses he is being manipulated. That Snoke will steal it all for himself. That he's expendable and just doing the dirty work. You and I both know he cannot kill Snoke. So what is to become of Ben Solo? We have to save him Luke. I won't ask you to do it alone this time. I've made that mistake twice too many."

"I know, Leia." He squeezed her hand and smiled. "I have an idea." They had one last chance.


	11. Chapter 11

"Wait. This doesn't make any sense." Finn interrupted her.

"You were training to be a Padawan, but then Luke returned you to Jakku to keep you safe because he sensed that Ben Solo would cause harm to the Jedi." Poe had sufficiently summarized her last 30 minutes of soliloquy. The three of them were sitting on a rock wall near the shores of a secluded lake. Lights from ships coming and going danced across the water. The sounds of the distant base were muted by the moss-covered trees.

"See, he got it," Rey teased.

"That's nothing," Finn whined. "No one thought you just magically learned how to use The Force without training."

"Really?" Poe challenged, sarcastically.

"Okay, I did, at first," Finn confessed. "But then I thought about it and realized that didn't make any sense. Obviously."

"Mhmm," Rey and Poe said in unison.

"But, why?" Finn pleaded. "Why all of this? Are you like the chosen one or something?"

"I wish I could tell you more," Rey tried to subdue him. Her sincerity helped. The truth was that Rey was actually bursting to tell him about her parents and Darth Vader and Kylo Ren. She needed to talk to someone and Finn was the only person she trusted.

"Don't you trust us?" It was as if he had read her mind.

"Of course," Rey tried again. "You're the only people I trust. I truly believe that both of you would die before revealing my secret. The problem is Kylo Ren wouldn't give you that luxury. He'd take it from you without your permission. And then he'd kill you. We're all safer if no one knows."

"Well excuse us for not being fancy Jedi," Finn sputtered. They were all a little bit drunk, but he was showing it the most.

"Come on Finn," Poe stepped in. "Don't be like that. What can you tell us, Rey? What's Skywalker like? Did you get to fly with him?"

"He's a actually a pretty weird old man," she laughed. Poe looked stunned while Finn regained his attention. "He's everything the legends would have you think and more. But then there's this very human side to him that you just don't expect."

"He's been through a lot," Poe added.

"Your parents were his friends, right?" Finn asked.

"Yeah. They fought together in the civil war," Poe went on. "I remember the worry in their eyes when they found out the Jedi had been massacred and Luke was missing. I had never seen my my parents so frightened in my life."

"Well he's back now," Finn said. "And he's got you, Rey. I'm feeling pretty confident." They all laughed.

"Tell me what's been going on here," it was her turn to plead. "I've been stuck on an island with a grumpy old man for a month. I have to live vicariously through you."

"Well," Finn said, before pausing to belch. "We're planning a mission to make me a double agent and infiltrate the storm troppers and form a rebellion of defective soldiers who are willing to be spies." He sputtered it out fast as possible, as if that would somehow make her more okay with it. Rey looked at Poe with an expression that begged 'please tell me he's kidding," but the look in the pilot's eyes only said 'sorry.'

"Well," Rey struggled to be supportive. "That certainly sounds... adventurous."

"Having Finn know where the shields were on Starkiller Base was invaluable," Poe explained. "We really need more eyes on the inside. It's our only chance to gather intelligence on Supreme Leader Snoke. He's not like the Sith lords during the Clone Wars and the Civil War. He doesn't go parading around. He's secretive and secluded. Some say that none of his generals have ever met him in person."

"I can certainly see the merit in the plan," Rey admitted. What she couldn't admit was the fear she felt sending Finn right into the belly of the beast.

"How long will you be there?" She asked, trying to feign innocence.

"Until you and Skywalker swoop in, kill Ren and Snoke and save my ass," Finn said as seriously as possible.

"No pressure," Poe added for good measure.

"Oh," said Rey. "Lovely." That was all she could muster.

Rey laid back against the grass behind the retaining wall and stared up at the stars. The two men joined her, Poe silently taking Finn's hand into his own. The three friends laid there silent, watching, thinking.

"It's like they're watching us," Finn whispered.

After some time Poe stirred and stood to leave. The other two had fallen asleep.

"Where are you going?" Finn asked sleepily.

"Back to my bunk," Poe let out a small chuckle. "Unlike you two I have a job to do. I'm meeting with my squadrons tomorrow at o-six-hundred to rehearse _your_ emergency extraction plan."

"Oh," Finn yawned, struggling to sit up. "That's nice of you."

Rey too was was stirring. "I'm really glad we got to spend time together," she spoke specifically to Poe. "It's nice to know Finn is in good hands even when I'm gone."

"It was great talking to you too." Poe moved to hug her. "Now I know what he was bragging about all this time."

"Guys," Finn interjected. "I'm right here." They all laughed.

"Goodnight you two," Poe said, quickly hugging Finn, but not making any fuss about it. "This night was perfect." He turned and hurried away through the woods.

Once Poe had disappeared out of sight Finn instantly collapsed back onto the grass and yawned again. Rey looked on with affection.

"This really is a cool robot leg," she said, poking at his dark flesh near where one of the metal pins entered.

"Hey," he reached to grab her. "That tickles!" He got her in the side just under her ribs and she squealed and thrashed to push him away. He fell back onto the grass. "Whoa, I'm dizzy."

"Yeah," she said, the inflection of her accent turning the word into three syllables instead of one. "That's what happens when you drink 6 bottles." She laid down next him, her head resting on his shoulder and her arm draped across his chest. He always was muscular. "I missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you too," he returned, gently kissing the top of her head. It seemed like the right thing to do.

"Do you love him?" Rey asked quietly after a moment of silence.

"What?" Finn was both confused and surprised.

"Poe," she said. "You have feelings for him, don't you?"

"Uhhhhh," was all he could manage. He was clueless as to what he was supposed to say.

"It's okay, Finn, you can be honest with me."

"Are you doing one of those Jedi mind tricks? Get out my head." He pushed her off of him and she landed with a thud. "Oh shit. Sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

"It's fine," she strained, pushing herself up and rubbing a sore elbow. "I wasn't doing any Jedi mind tricks. I would never do that to you. I was just reading your body language. The way you look at him when he's not looking. The way you smile when he talks. I could practically hear your heart thumping from five feet away."

"Really?" He asked, blushing with were now sitting cross-legged facing each other.

"You've got it bad, huh?"

"I don't know," he moped. "I have all these weird feelings I don't understand and I can't explain. It's like happy and scary at the same time. When I think about him I get excited, and when he's near me I get excited, and when he leaves I feel like something is missing. But I kind of feel the same thing about you too."

"Oh?" Rey said. That was not what she was expecting.

"Since the moment I woke up in the infirmary I've been wanting to see you. To hold you in my arms. Even just to talk to you and laugh again."

"Ummm, okay." She said, trying to be respectful. Honestly, she had felt many of the same things. "Is this the same with Poe or is it different?"

"Similar, but different. I think," he stuttered. From the expression on his face he looked miserable. "I don't know."

"Relax, Finn," she said, reaching a hand out so that he could hold it. She knew how much he relied on that comfort when he was stressed.

"You have to understand," he tried to explain. "I'm not really human. I mean I am, obviously, but I'm different. You and Poe, you were raised with emotions. You were allowed to feel lonely, or scared, or content, or whatever. Poe, he had an awesome life. He felt love, and joy, and happiness. And he's so confident about what he wants. And then there's me. Storm troopers aren't allowed to have emotions. We're taken from our families and brainwashed. We're not allowed to have friends. We're not supposed to care about anything. The only emotion we're supposed to feel is loyalty to our 'creator.' We aren't even taught what the word 'love' means. And while I was able to resist a lot of that brainwashing, I never had any examples. I just have all these feelings and I don't know what they mean. And I want to tell Poe, but I don't want to scare him away, and then there's you and I don't know if I'm supposed to chose or not chose. But I don't want to chose. But I don't know how to figure it either. I'm so broken."

"You're adorable," Rey said, shaking her head at him.

"You mean that in the good way, right?" He asked, clearly vulnerable.

"Of course," she reassured him. "Listen. You're not broken. You're just Finn. Every person feels things differently. So what if Poe is super confident? Good for him. All the answers to your questions are within you. You don't need to be able to use The Force to know what lies in your heart. And I know it can be confusing, but there are different kinds of love, so you don't have to chose. Look at General Leia. She loved Han Solo. But she also loves Luke, and she loves her son, and she probably loves all the people on this base in a way. I can tell you that I love you, as my closest and dearest friend, and I love Luke, as my teacher, and I'm starting to love Poe, because he's just a really cool guy. But if you're not sure yet, or you need more time to figure it out, that's completely okay"

"Wow," Finn said, smiling. "Skywalker turned you into an old wise woman."

"No," Rey laughed. "I just found that within me."

"I love you, Rey" Finn leaned over and held her as tightly to him as he could.

"I love you too, trooper."

"No he didn't!" Finn moaned.

"You fell asleep and were snoring. He said you thought it was the best nickname ever." Rey's laugh was almost maniacal.

"I'm gonna kill him. I am going to kill that bloody pilot."


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Thanks for all the visits, follows and favorites! I hope you guys are enjoying it. Would love to see some comments, good or bad. Let me know if you have questions or if anything doesn't make sense. I'm intentionally leaving out a number of details related to Rey's lineage that will be revealed throughout the story (can't just throw it all out there up front!). We're starting to need to have some major action to drive the plot along. Would you guys rather have that be off-screen and keep this story more drama/friendship/romance or do you want to see me try (and likely fail) to write some of the action?**

* * *

"You've failed me Kylo Ren," the voice of Snoke filled the room, the owner of the voice nowhere to be found.

"Yes, Supreme Leader," Ben Solo stood strong in front of his master, but inside he was trembling.

"You said you killed all the Jedi," the voice boomed. "You lied to me!"

"I did, Supreme Leader. Every child. Skywalker tricked us."

"Skywalker tricked YOU! You are weak! Until you fully give yourself over to the Dark side Skywalker will continue play with you like a toy!"

"I am not his toy," Kylo raged. "I killed my father. I will kill my mother, and that stupid girl, and then I will kill Luke Skywalker."

"Yessss," Snoke hissed. "But you are one weak child, and there are now two Jedi."

"Help me, Supreme Leader," Kylo begged. "I will do whatever you command."

"TAKE HIM AWAY," bellowed the voice.

"What?" Ben only had a moment of confusion before he was surrounded on all sides by Storm Troopers, led by Captain Phasma. "What is the meaning of this," he screamed as they began lifting and dragging him out of the room. He fought back, force pushing a few of the soldiers into the wall. He summoned his lightsaber to his hand but it didn't come. As he looked up he saw it. Across the room a small being had appeared. He was holding the lit saber and cackling. With his other hand raised in front of him he immobilized Kylo Ren and watch with satisfaction as he was carried from the room, a look of terror frozen on his face.


	13. Chapter 13

"BB-8," Poe ordered. "Find the general, summon the captains and get everyone to the command room." He skidded his fighter onto the runway and didn't bother to park it before jumping out and heading into the base.

"What's going on?" Finn shouted, falling into a run beside the pilot. He had been hoping to catch a moment of alone time with the increasingly busy captain. The time was nearing for his mission and Finn didn't want to leave without saying what was on his mind. Poe had been absent for two weeks on a surveillance mission.

"The First Order," Poe huffed.

"What about them," Finn asked, suddenly scared. "Did they find us? Are they coming? I need a weapon! Why do I never have a weapon?"

They arrived at the control center and Poe hurried around the room ordering the technicians to start loading various coordinates, calculating certain trajectories, and running data reports. Finn put his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath in the corner.

"What is it, Poe?" Leia urged as she rushed into the room, followed by BB-8. Other captains and commanders of all backgrounds joined them in a hurry. Luke Skywalker and his apprentice were last and stood side by side, out of the way.

"BB-8, show them the footage." Poe instructed. The droid projected a series of surveillance videos up into the air, large enough for everyone to see.

"My god," gasped C-3P0. General Leia moved in to get a closer look.

"What planet is this?" Asked one of the other captains.

"Bordal," Poe said. "The same thing is happening on Kuan."

"Formerly under imperial reign, those are the only two habitable planets in the Taroon system." C-3PO recited.

"How many people live there?" Leia asked urgently.

"2.6 million on Bordal," answered a technician from her computer terminal. "30 million on Kuan."

"Taroon system is not far from here," a captain spoke up.

"How did we miss this?" Leia asked. She was hastled, but careful not to get angry.

"The First Order was believed to be hiding in the Unknown Regions," answered Poe. "That's where we've focused our reconnaissance missions. We just happened to be passing through the Reisk sector on our return journey and noticed an abnormal concentration of old imperial starships."

"Were you seen?" Luke Skywalker spoke from the corner. He too had an urgent air about him.

"I don't think so," Poe shook his head. "At least they didn't come after us."

"Why is nobody asking the obvious question," Finn chimed in. He didn't have the authority to be at this meeting, but no one had complained yet. "Didn't we destroy their base? How did they get so many ships?"

"Starkiller Base was just a diversion," Luke spoke ominously as he moved to the center of the room. He didn't need to see the proof. "They knew our attention would be drawn towards the weapon and meanwhile set up their real base in your backyard as a backup plan in case the weapon wasn't able to destroy D'Qar. It's an old war tactic. There was never any intent to mobilize the majority of the forces you saw on Starkiller Base. Most of the droids, battle planes and storm troopers were probably just shells crafted from scrap metal but never functional. They wanted you to think you had destroyed the majority of their fleet and therefore think you had time to prepare for the next major battle. If you hadn't flown through the Taroon system they might have managed to ambush this base and wipe out the resistance fleet before you even knew what was happening."

"So now the tides have turned," one Captain spoke up. "Let's strike now, while we have the element of surprise."

"No," Leia said, panning through the videos of endless warships, battle droids practicing drills and civilians being driven as slaves. "With the New Republic forces lost on Hosnian Prime, we are severely outnumbered. With their advanced technology we will be destroyed before we even get close enough to fire."

"They've intentionally entrenched themselves amongst the civilians," Rey joined the fray. "We couldn't attack the First Order without destroying innocent lives."

"What if we just stick to the original plan," Poe suggested. "We can increase our border patrols, and watch for signs of mobilization, but move forward with the plan to infiltrate the Storm Troopers. Maybe we can't attack, but we can destroy them from the inside."

"I'm still in," said Finn, stepping up as if ready to go."

"I appreciate your bravery young man, but it's dangerous," Leia was scratching her chin. "If something goes wrong we won't be able to extract you without starting a war."

"Then let's hope nothing goes wrong," Finn smiled, trying to keep the mood light. Inside he was terrified. There would be no extraction.

"We need to begin an evacuation of all civilians in this system," Luke said. "By keeping the base here we're putting them all at risk. We should help anyone who wants to leave."

"Alright," Leia said. "Captain Dameron, finalize the plans for Finn's deployment. The rest of you split up. Half focus on strengthening our defense and surveillance, and the rest work to secretly evacuate the civilians. We don't want to draw any unwanted to intention. We also need to step up our recruitment. With the senate destroyed, most planets have reverted to local governing. We need to find planetary jurisdictions, specifically ones with their own military, who may now be ready to join the Resistance."

"Rey and I offer ourselves as your ambassadors, sister." Luke spoke proudly. It was a natural role for the Jedi.

"Yes, good." Leia announced. "We launch in 2 days!"


End file.
